Seal-lock



(No Model.) 1

J. E. PRIEST.

SEAL LOOK.

No. 597,564. Patented Jan. 18, 1898.

IV I IWES S E8 UNITED STATES PATENT @Fricn.

JAMES E. PRIEST, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

' SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent l q'o. 597,564, dated January 18, 1898.

Application filed February 12,1897. Serial No. 628,032. (No model.)

To all, whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, J AMES E. PRIEST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Seal-Locks; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention .hasfor its object certain new and useful improvements in a seal-lock for shipping-packages, boxes, chests, cars, and the like; and it consists of the construction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafter described,and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in perspective illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view; and Fig. 3 is a view in section on the line 3 3,Fig. 2.

My invention is designed to provide a seallock of simple and economical construction, as well as one eflicient in its operation.

I carry out my invention as follows: In the drawings, A represents a plate constructed to have a fixed engagement upon the shippingpackage or analogous article to which the lock is applied. This plate maybe made of a casting having screw-orifices a therein, through which screws may engage the plate with the package. The plate is recessed intermediate its lateral edges to receive a slide B. The slide will be held in place between the plate A and the folding cover of package or analogous device (indicated at C) to which the lock is attached. The plate A is also preferably formed with inwardly-projectin g lugs a at the front edge to form a guide for said slide. The plate is also provided with a stop a to limit the reciprocation of the slide. The plate A is recessed, as indicated at A, to receive any suitable seal A The seal A may be any private seal and may be constructed of any suitable material-as paper-board, for example. On the opposite side of the plate A is a latch I), having 'a jointed or rocking engagement with the plateA toward the front edge of the plate, as at CZ. Any suitable spring E holds the latch in normal position.

formed with lugs a to receive the forwardend of the latch, the lugs 61. forminga pocket to receive the forward end of the latch, the forward end of the latch being constructed with a raised shoulder, as indicated at d. The rear end of the latch is provided with a shoulder (Z to engage over an adjacent shoulder b of the slide B or over the rear end of the slide when the slide is thrown into a locked position. This engagement of the latch with the slide prevents the retraction of the slide until the latch is disengaged therefrom. /Vhen the latch is in such normal engagement with the slide in locked position, it will be evident that the slide can only be unlocked when the rear end of the latch is depressed to release it from the rear end of the slide, the spring E serving to hold the latch in normal position to lock the slide, while permitting also the depression of the latch to disengage it from the slide.

To accomplish the depression and release of the latch, the bottom wall of the recess in the plate A, in which the seal is located, is constructed with any suitable orifice a, said orifice being of any suitable shape-as, for example, to permit the passage of any pointed instrument therethrongh to press against or depress the latch.

The slide is provided with an orifice b of any suitable form to permit the insertion of the pointed instrument or other device therethrough to release the latch, said orifice b being preferably elongated to permit the reciprocation of the slide.

The orifices in the plate A and in the slide may he variously shaped to receive a suitable key or other instrument by which the latch may be disengaged from the slide. It will be evident that the instrument must, however, pierce the seal in passing through said orifices in the slide and in the plate to disengage the latch, so that the latch can never be disengaged from the slide and the device be unlocked without the seal being broken or pierced.

The device is obviously simple,being formed virtnallyof but fourparts, the plate, the slide, the latch, and the spring. The first three parts may be all made of cast metal, requiring no finishing Whatever.

To prevent the latch being tampered with from any other point than through the seal, any suitable protecting device may be employed, as a cover F.

The seal-lock may be applied to a shippingpackage in any suitable manner-as, for example, by engaging it on the under side of the folding cover 0, said cover havinga recess or opening to permit access to open the lock. The slide will engage under a permanent and fixed portion of the box-cover, (indicated at O.)

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. In a seal-lock, the combinationof a recessed plate, a slide reciproeatory in said recess, and a spring-actuated latch located on the opposite side of the plate to lock the slide, said plate formed with a chamber adjacent to the slide to receive a seal, and both the plate and slide constru eted with an orifice adj aeen t to the chamber through which an instrument may be inserted to disengage the latch from the slide, substantially as described.

2. In a seal-lock, the combination of a plate chambered to receive a seal, a reciprocatory slide constructed With a shoulder b and located on one side of the plate, a latch located on the opposite side of the plate and construeted with a shoulder d to engage the shoulder 12 of the slide, said plate and slide formed with registrable orifices upon opposite sides of the seal-chamber, whereby an instrument may be passed through the slide, the seal and the plate to disengage the latch from the slide, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. PRIEST.

Witnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, M E. WRIGHT. 

